KIRKUS REVIEW

First of a four-book series from one of Britain's leading fantasists (Dreams of Dark and Light, 1986): three long gothic tales set in the surreal, anachronistic, half-forgotten French city of Paradys. In "Stained with Crimson," young aesthete Andre St. Jean accepts a scarab ring, "the secret of life," that impels him into vampirism and sexual transformation--a dreamy, perverse tale that eventually subsides into cloying overcomplications. Raped by her stepfather, Jehanine of "Malice in Saffron"--easily the best of the three tales--seeks revenge by dressing as a boy to go forth by night to thieve and murder, before finding redemption as a nun of a sect that, ironically, worships Lucifer. "Empires of Azure" peers through cobalt-tinted windows to depict sorcery and possession by an ancient, powerful demon who requires that a journalist record the details of his triumph. Sexual ambiguities, clammy obsessions, and erotic polymorphisms, set forth amid a welter of rich, sometimes suffocating detail: stylish, curious, languid, different.

Be the first to discover new talent!
Each week, our editors select the one author and one book they believe to be most worthy of your attention and highlight them in our Pro Connect email alert.
Sign up here to receive your FREE alerts.